


Store Bought

by apiegohome



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Flirting, Getting Together, I needed a break from the angst, Kissing, M/M, Making Out, Pining Ventus, Security Guard Vanitas, Shenanigans, Shop Assistant Ventus, Terra makes an appearance, Van and Ven basically be livin their best lives in this, Vanitas knows what he do, Ventus is Thirsty, boyfriend quizzes, hand holding, my poor attempts at humour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-04 11:19:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18342623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apiegohome/pseuds/apiegohome
Summary: After a massive power outage traps Ventus inside of the department store he works at, things get a little more interesting when he discovers he’s not exactly on his own. Because of course it’s Vanitas, the too-cool-for-school security guard he’s had his eyes on for far too long now.“Isn’t there anything you’ve always wanted to do?”





	Store Bought

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prompt fill for the ever wonderful @noiuniverse over on tumblr. The prompt was 'we're locked in the park/store, what now?' and this legit only took me 385632 years to actually write lol. Sorry for the long wait! It was a lot of fun to write though, so I hope you enjoy reading it. Thank you for prompting me too! :)

Rolling the tension from his shoulders, Ventus swept his bangs from out of his eyes and clicked his pen open. Searching down the list on the clipboard in his hand, he quickly found what he was looking for.    ****  
** **

“Okay. Twenty…two… sets!”  ****  
** **

Writing the total into its designated column, Ventus breathed a sigh of relief. Another item down, only three more to go. Next was the 400 thread count, baby blue sheet sets,  _ which,  _ by taking a quick glance at the stock on the shelves in front of him, wouldn’t be taking him long to add up.  ****  
** **

His phone resting in his breast pocket gave a cheerful chirp, and instinctively, Ventus knew it was probably Aqua checking up on him. She’d carried on with her usual routine of mothering him way too much when he’d insisted she go home early for once, but with the store’s stocktake nearly complete for the day, Ventus hadn’t minded finishing up on his own. He preferred working nights, for his own reasons. Reasons he knew Aqua wouldn’t exactly agree with if she knew… ****  
** **

Setting the clipboard down on a nearby shelf, Ventus retrieved his phone just as a sharp, buzzing sound from directly above him had him jerking his eyes up towards the ceiling.  ****  
** **

Once, twice, the large overhead lights flickered, before almost all at once, the entire department store was thrown into jarring darkness.  ****  
** **

Blinking, confused, Ventus gasped and waited for his eyes to readjust, the only light now cutting through the gloom being the lit screen of his phone.  ****  
** **

“What—”  ****  
** **

His phone took that moment to shriek, loud and shrill, and Ventus’ feet promptly left the floor.   ****  
** **

Getting ahold of himself, Ventus took in the caller ID before quickly hitting accept.  ****  
** **

“Aqua, hey, what’s—”  ****  
** **

“Ven! There’s been a huge power outage in town! Are you still at work? Has it affected you there?”  ****  
** **

Ventus pointedly looked around himself, everything still in shadow. Not even the emergency lights were working. And if they weren’t working… it was a pretty safe bet that none of the automatic doors would be accessible either.  ****  
** **

“Yeah, uh, it just went out. Right when you called.”  ****  
** **

Aqua groaned. “I knew I should’ve stayed to help you finish!”  ****  
** **

Ventus breathed out a laugh. “No, no, I finished it all, it’s just… I guess I’m stuck in here till the power comes back on. It’s not so bad, really. I’m sure they’re already all over it.”  ****  
** **

“I hope so…” Aqua sighed. “I’ll keep you updated if I hear anything, and I know Terra is working tonight too, so I’ll get him to come and check up on you.”  ****  
** **

Ventus rolled his eyes, something he’d never be brave enough to do right in front of her.  ****  
** **

“Aqua, I’m  _ fine.  _ It’s a big store, okay? I’ve got everything I could possibly need right here. Food, water…  _ beds.  _ I’m not some damsel in distress! I don’t need checking up on. Let Terra do his job.” ****  
** **

There was a short beat of silence from Aqua before she finally gave in.  ****  
** **

“Okay, fine. But call me straight away if there’s any trouble.”  ****  
** **

“I will, don’t worry,” Ventus said, nodding to himself. “I’ll let you know when it’s back on.”  ****  
** **

Saying their goodbyes, Ventus ended the call and carded a weary hand through his hair. What to do now, though? It could be hours before the electrical company managed to get the entire mall back online, so...  ****  
** **

“Guess I… may as well finish the stocktake.”  ****  
** **

“Why would you bother?”  ****  
** **

An unexpected voice from somewhere behind him had Ventus whirling where he stood. He clutched the shelving behind him for support (or rather, fell into it), as he willed his heart to stop battering against his ribs.   ****  
** **

“How’d you get in here!?”  ****  
** **

Vanitas, because of course it was  _ him,  _ stepped out of the shadows, hands casually sunk into the pockets of his work uniform as he stood at the end of the row Ventus was in. Vanitas just smirked and shrugged. ****  
** **

“I was just doing the rounds.”  ****  
** **

Ventus narrowed his eyes.  ****  
** **

“...You were sleeping in Manchester again, weren’t you?”  ****  
** **

Vanitas flicked his eyes up towards the ceiling.   ****  
** **

“Uhhh.”  ****  
** **

Ventus straightened himself and crossed his arms, gifting Vanitas with the very best unimpressed look he could muster. ****  
** **

“You know, Terra’s gonna have your head when he finds out you were slacking off again.”  ****  
** **

“But he’s not gonna find out, is he?” Vanitas replied; the cat that got the cream. “He can’t even get in here, judging by the power being out and all.”  ****  
** **

Ventus said nothing. Vanitas did have a point.    ****  
** **

“So I’m guessing… we’re stuck in here till it’s fixed, right?”  ****  
** **

Vanitas began wandering his way closer, the look in his eyes unreadable. ****  
** **

“Just you… and me. Till the power’s restored.”  ****  
** **

Ventus would never admit he was nervous, but  _ holy whoa _ he was just about jumping out of his skin. Vanitas stopped a mere foot away from him, just enough for their difference in height to be made more apparent. Ventus really hoped Vanitas couldn’t see him sweating. Along with the power, the air-conditioning had ground to a halt, as well. Ventus’ long-sleeved shirt and tie weren’t exactly doing him any favours. ****  
** **

“I guess we are… yeah.” Ventus said, choosing his words carefully. In front of him, Vanitas hummed in agreement, his golden eyes somehow still piercing, even in the low-light.  ****  
** **

Ventus probably could have helped it if he _ really _ wanted to, but ever since he’d started working at the mall some months ago, he’d felt inexplicably and ridiculously attracted to Terra’s coworker. Vanitas was hired as an evening security guard, so as soon as Ventus had been gifted with that knowledge he’d made it almost his mission to always work the later shifts too. The two of them had only managed to interact on a handful of occasions, usually only about work-related crap, but Ventus still held out hope that something might develop between them.  ****  
** **

Any opportunity he got, Ventus caught himself seeking Vanitas out, and  _ honestly,  _ how could he not?? The guy was a walking dream — his tight black security pants and shirt hugging him in all the right ways, defining his broad shoulders and slim waist.  ****  
** **

And that butt. Couldn’t ever forget that butt.  ****  
** **

Needless to say, Ventus was thirsty. A thirst like no other he’d ever felt before. 

He always felt like his brain was melting out of his ears whenever he so much as  _ looked  _ in Vanitas’ eyes, that sharp line of his jaw so appealing, the curve of his smirk so devastatingly dangerous. 

God forbid, the other man  _ ever  _ caught on. Because Ventus would rather fling himself into the sun than ever test  _ those  _ waters.   ****  
** **

“Ventus.” ****  
** **

Snapping back to attention, Ventus focused and cleared his throat in embarrassment. “Sorry. Did you say something?” 

Vanitas quirked an eyebrow at him.  ****  
** **

“I  _ said,  _ you’re seriously not going to keep working when we’ve literally got this entire department store to ourselves, are you?”   ****  
** **

Composing himself, Ventus sniffed and broke their eye contact.  ****  
** **

“Well,  _ some _ of us actually take their jobs seriously around here.”  ****  
** **

Vanitas snorted. He leaned against the shelving beside Ventus, lazily reaching for Ventus’ clipboard and pen. “Come  _ on, _ Ventus, lighten up a little. This is a dream come true. No one around and no cameras. It’s the perfect opportunity.”  ****  
** **

As he spoke, Vanitas not-so-subtly dropped Ventus’ clipboard down the other side of the shelves, into the next row. Ventus heard it hit the floor and chose to ignore it, his attention already thoroughly held elsewhere.  ****  
** **

“...For what?”  ****  
** **

Vanitas threw up his hands, his grin like the Cheshire Cat.  ****  
** **

“For a bit of fun!”  ****  
** **

Ventus… was instantly suspicious. But it did get him thinking. The cameras  _ were  _ offline, which meant—  ****  
** **

“Isn’t there anything you’ve always wanted to do?” Vanitas pressed him, his tone of voice far too inviting.   ****  
** **

Ventus thought about it. If he was being honest here, there had always been  _ one  _ thing he  _ really  _ wanted to do.  ****  
** **

“Hmm, well… Actually, there  _ is  _ something…”  ****  
** **

Ventus started walking with purpose, knowing Vanitas would follow. It wasn’t long till he reached the section of the store he was after.  ****  
** **

“Are you serious?” Vanitas scoffed as Ventus began tugging off his shoes and socks. ****  
** **

Ventus didn’t answer. Instead he gave Vanitas a pointed look before leaping up onto one of the mattresses.  ****  
** **

Without preamble, he jumped.  ****  
** **

Ventus couldn’t exactly say he’d jumped on a bed since he was a child, but as an adult, working at Myers, every time he’d passed by the mattress and bedding section of the store he’d always felt this insane desire to jump on every single one.  ****  
** **

So, that’s what he was gonna do.  ****  
** **

Gaining traction and height, Ventus let out a “whoop!” as he bounced onto the next mattress, his feet sinking into the plush padding before the springs would come through and propel him back upwards. It was… elating. Euphoric even. Simple, yet exciting. He felt like a bad-ass.  ****  
** **

Vanitas just stood by the first bed, his arms folded as he watched with an amused smile on his face.  ****  
** **

“Lame.”   ****  
** **

“Just because  _ you  _ obviously don’t know how to have fun,” Ventus shouted back at him. Feeling confident, wanting to impress, Ventus gained as much height as he could manage before cleanly flipping mid-air.  ****  
** **

Vanitas let out a low whistle, slow clapping Ventus’ efforts like the douchebag he was.   ****  
** **

“Get up here.” Ventus said, breathless, jumping his way back over to where Vanitas still stood.   ****  
** **

“What?”  ****  
** **

“What,  _ what? _ Don’t tell me you’re just gonna watch me? Is that your idea of ‘fun’?”  ****  
** **

Vanitas’ eyes followed Ventus’ every movement. He was smiling all the while. Ventus was glad he was already breathless.  ****  
** **

“The view _ is... _ entertaining.”  ****  
** **

It sounded a lot like flirting, but Ventus decided not to read into it. He was starting to feel nervous under such close scrutiny, though, so before he could rethink his actions, he fisted a hand into the front of Vanitas’ shirt and pulled. ****  
** **

Vanitas overbalanced, rather ungracefully, almost face-planting into the mattress beside Ventus’ feet. He managed to catch himself on his hands just in time. Ventus barked out a laugh above him.  ****  
** **

“Sorry!” He said, sounding completely un-sorry. He quickly jumped away as Vanitas righted himself, his face now set in grim determination.  ****  
** **

“Oh, it’s  _ on.” _ ****  
** **

Ventus would forever deny it, but as soon as Vanitas flung off his own shoes and socks and gave chase, he’d let out an absolutely mortifying, high-pitched squeal. Vanitas may have been quick, bouncing after him with his hands grasping at the air in front of him, but Ventus was still quicker. ****  
** **

He  _ just  _ managed to shake Vanitas’ hold on the back of his shirt before he quite literally made a leap of faith for one of the other beds much further away. He landed roughly, but came prepared, one of the bed’s pillow already within reach.  ****  
** **

Just as Vanitas’ feet touched down behind him, Ventus swung with all of his might, belting the pillow into Vanitas’ face.  ****  
** **

_ “Oomphf!”  _ ****  
** **

His footing lost, Vanitas promptly tumbled over the side.  ****  
** **

“Oh, crap, are you okay??” Ventus laughed, leaning down the side of the bed to look at him. Vanitas was sprawled there, his chest heaving. Slowly, he sat up— ****  
** **

—and lunged for Ventus.  ****  
** **

Screaming with laughter, Ventus whirled away, leaving the mattresses altogether, darting through Manchester and into the vast, neighbouring section of kitchenware and appliances.  ****  
** **

What followed was one of the most intense games of hide and seek Ventus had ever played.   ****  
** **

Eventually, after some time of hiding amongst some rather overly stocked racks of ladies’ dresses, Ventus began growing impatient. He didn’t know how long it had been, but there had been no sign of Vanitas for far too long now.  ****  
** **

Pulling himself free of one particularly staticky silk dress, Ventus revealed himself, peering through the gloom. ****  
** **

“Vanitas? ...Where are you?”  ****  
** **

There was no answer, the store all around him dark and still.  ****  
** **

Then, as if summoned, there came a faint scratching sound. ****  
** **

“Vanitas?”  ****  
** **

The scratching noise came again, louder this time, and Ventus felt his nerve failing him.  ****  
** **

“It… It’s not funny, Vanitas! Just come out already!”  ****  
** **

Again, only scratching was his answer, and warily, definitely nervous, Ventus started making his way more closer to the source.  ****  
** **

It was coming from the white goods section, rows and rows of dishwashers and washing machines lined up like sentries. He walked among the hulking bulk of the refrigerators, easily noticing that some of their doors were hanging open ominously.  ****  
** **

“Van…?”  ****  
** **

With a terrifying roar, Vanitas burst out of one of the fridges right beside Ventus, and Ventus, too shocked to register who it was— ****  
** **

Punched him in the face.   ****  
** **

After some panic and much apology, Vanitas sat on the floor glowering while Ventus gently pressed a bottle of coke wrapped in a hand-towel to his swollen cheek.  

“I didn’t mean it!” Ventus said for the umpteenth time, silently hating himself for punching his  _ crush  _ right in his flippin’  _ face — oh my god, could it be any worse??  _ ****  
** **

Vanitas just gave Ventus a weak smile. His left cheek was a little bit red, but apart from that he was mostly unharmed.  ****  
** **

“I think I’m more stunned that you can even hit that hard.”  ****  
** **

Ventus smiled too. He shrugged, trying and failing at not being too pleased with himself.  _ Take that, Aqua — I  _ can _ take care of myself.  _ ****  
** **

“Who’d have thought there’d be more to me than just being a stocktake extraordinaire.”   ****  
** **

Vanitas hummed, as if he was agreeing.  ****  
** **

“Not just a pretty face, huh?”  ****  
** **

Vanitas’ smile was bordering on illegal, and Ventus faintly had trouble remembering how to breathe.  ****  
** **

Was it hot in here? It was definitely hot in here. Never in all his life had he prayed for aircon more.     ****  
** **

“Well, that was fun and all, but I better finish the stocktake. Aqua will kill me if it isn’t done.” Ventus quickly helped Vanitas back to his feet and shoved the wrapped coke bottle into one of his hands. He turned to walk away, keen to escape, but Vanitas grabbed at his hand, holding on tight.  ****  
** **

“Hey, wait. Aren’t you curious about what _ I’ve _ always wanted to do?”   ****  
** **

That made Ventus pause. He faced Vanitas again, scrutinising the mischievous glint in his eyes. He crossed his arms, waiting.   ****  
** **

“I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”  ****  
** **

Vanitas finished poking at his now bruised cheek and gave Ventus a cheeky, self-assured smirk.  ****  
** **

“I’ll do one better than that. I’ll show you.”  

****

-0- 

****

“Vanitas. No.”  ****  
** **

“Vanitas,  _ yes.”   _ ****  
** **

Ventus was freaking out. This was a terrible idea. Absolutely.  _ 100%  _ ****  
** **

“Do I really have to?” He whined, taking a decisive step back.   ****  
** **

“We did your jumpy bed thing and now we do my thing. It’s only fair, Ventus.”   ****  
** **

Ventus frowned. “How many times do I have to tell you to just call me Ven?”  ****  
** **

Vanitas chose to ignore him.  ****  
** **

“Stop stalling and just get in the boat,  _ Ventus _ .”   ****  
** **

Ventus closed his eyes and prayed for strength. When Vanitas had told him to go ‘finish his stocktake and come back’, this was  _ not  _ what he was expecting to find.  ****  
** **

Vanitas had blown up a pool-toy boat _ and _ tied two boogie boards to the bottom of it. If that wasn’t bad enough, (how much of this was Ventus going to have to end up paying for??), Vanitas had it balanced at the top of the store’s third floor escalator, a hand innocently held out to him. The mound of pillows at the bottom of said escalator was doing absolutely nothing at all in convincing Ventus this was a good idea.  ****  
** **

Vanitas wiggled his fingers, his eyebrows raised.  ****  
** **

But Ventus was  _ weak  _ to this man.  ****  
** **

He knew he had to give in.  ****  
** **

Taking his hand, Ventus allowed Vanitas to help him into the boat. It was only when he was settled between Vanitas’ thighs that he  _ really  _ started to question what the hell he was doing agreeing to this.  ****  
** **

Giving him no time to change his mind, Vanitas slid in closer behind him and wrapped his arms snugly around his waist.  ****  
** **

“You ready for this?” Vanitas murmured, his lips just brushing the shell of Ventus’ ear. Ventus suppressed a shiver.   ****  
** **

“...As I’ll ever be.”  ****  
** **

Lifting one of his hands, Vanitas pushed them forwards, gravity doing the rest.  ****  
** **

It was impressive really. As if Vanitas had somehow done this before. The boogie boards were ingenious, skimming smoothly over the teeth of the escalator’s stairs, sending them all but flying down towards the assembled mountain of pillows below.   ****  
** **

Ventus knew he was shouting, but Vanitas’ laughter in his ear was much, much louder. They hit the pillows at full force, the little boogie-boat shooting across the tiled floor like a rogue bottle rocket. At some point it rolled, and Ventus squeezed his eyes closed, preparing himself for impact.  ****  
** **

They eventually came to a stop some distance away, and Ventus surprisingly felt no pain at all. Groaning, he sat up slowly. Only to realise what was cushioning him.  ****  
** **

Vanitas was sprawled on the floor beneath him, his arms thrown out wide, hair an absolute mess. And Ventus… was sitting on top of him, hands resting on his chest. ****  
** **

“That was…”    ****  
** **

Vanitas grinned. ****  
** **

“Fucking amazing??”   ****  
** **

They both laughed. ****  
** **

There was a brief moment of silence where they just grinned at each other. Without jostling Ventus from his lap, Vanitas sat up. Absently, he tucked some of Ventus’ hair behind his ear.  ****  
** **

They were so close, and yet, Ventus felt oddly comfortable. As if they were sharing some kind of moment. He couldn’t help his eyes darting down to Vanitas’ lips. ****  
** **

They really were very close. Too close for this level of comfort, surely.   ****  
** **

“You know?” Ventus murmured. “This kinda feels like…”  ****  
** **

_ A date…  _ ****  
** **

Vanitas watched him carefully, expression faintly questioning.  ****  
** **

“Kinda feels like…?”  ****  
** **

Ventus cleared his throat. ****  
** **

“...Like we’re at a theme park.” What tumbled out of his mouth next was an awkward laugh that had him inwardly cringing half to death.  ****  
** **

“Yeah. Kinda.”  ****  
** **

Vanitas was smirking at him, as if he  _ knew _ , and Ventus thought it was utterly unfair of how mussed and soft Vanitas looked in the low-light... ****  
** **

As if… they had just tumbled into bed together.  ****  
** **

A light weight resting on each side of his hips had him snapping back to reality.  ****  
** **

“Are you… gonna get up anytime soon, or...?”  ****  
** **

Vanitas’ hands squeezed his hips, prompting him into action.  ****  
** **

“Ah, yep! Sorry!”  ****  
** **

Ventus flopped to the side of Vanitas, a few wayward pillows cushioning his hasty retreat. With a groan he sprawled out on his back.  ****  
** **

On the inside, he was positively screaming. Surely, he was being  _ far  _ too obvious. Vanitas  _ had _ to be cluing in by now.  ****  
** **

“No need to be sorry, I wasn’t complaining.”  ****  
** **

Vanitas lay down beside him, folding his arms behind his head. He wasn’t looking at Ventus when he said it, which was probably a good thing. Because Ventus wasn’t stupid.  ****  
** **

Vanitas was  _ definitely  _ flirting with him. ****  
** **

It was taking all of his willpower not to roll back on top of Vanitas to show him just how much  _ he _ wasn’t complaining either.  ****  
** **

“Just so you know, I’m not cleaning this up,” he said instead, grasping at a nearby cushion to bat at Vanitas’ chest with.  ****  
** **

“That makes two of us, then,” was Vanitas’ smug answer before he was swiftly standing and darting away into the darkness.  ****  
** **

Ventus sat up in a flurry of cushions, quietly outraged.  ****  
** **

“Hey! Get back here!”  ****  
** **

With only Vanitas’ wicked laughter like a homing beacon, Ventus gave chase. He darted around shelves and countless racks of clothes until finally catching sight of a dark blur making its way back up to the third floor.  ****  
** **

Taking the escalator stairs two at a time, Ventus thundered his way up, too. He was out of breath and grinning like a loon by the time he made it to the top. Vanitas’ voice floated over to him from one of the far off corners of the floor and that was all the info he needed.  ****  
** **

He knew where he was hiding.  ****  
** **

The toy and sports section of the store had always been their messiest department by far. There was just so many different things to display, and almost everyone — kids and adults alike, loved messing around in there. At this point in time it was relatively tidy, (due to the stocktake and all), but there were still several half opened boxes of new merchandise waiting to be unpacked and displayed, and piles of loose items organised sporadically all along the already crammed aisles of shelving.  ****  
** **

It was like a minefield. Ventus made a running jump clean over a pile of plushies, dodged a fallen stack of picture books and fought his way through a tangle of children’s party costumes, right towards the back of the ‘boys’ section.  ****  
** **

A swipe directly in front of him — from out of the gloom, had him jumping backwards, just as Vanitas appeared from around the corner. His grin was sharp. The plastic sword he held in his hand hung loosely at his side.  ****  
** **

“Too slow.”  ****  
** **

Ventus narrowed his eyes. He matched Vanitas’ grin.  ****  
** **

“I still dodged, didn’t I?”  ****  
** **

He blindly reached out to the shelving beside him, grasping onto the nearest long, pointy thing to arm himself with. Vanitas’ eyes glimmered, his grin almost feral.  ****  
** **

“What do you reckon? Between the two of us, who would win?  ****  
** **

Rising to the challenge, Ventus brandished his weapon out in front of him, ready for anything. Vanitas readied himself too before he happened to glance down and lock onto what Ventus was actually holding.  ****  
** **

“...What the hell is that?”  ****  
** **

Ventus feigned an outraged gasp.  ****  
** **

It’s a  _ Keyblade _ . Duh. From — you know, Kingdom Hearts?”  ****  
** **

Vanitas looked unconvinced. “Sounds fake but okay.”   ****  
** **

Ventus laughed. “You would. For the record.”  ****  
** **

“Huh?”  ****  
** **

“You would win, I mean. If we fought.”   ****  
** **

Vanitas frowned.  ****  
** **

“Why’re you selling yourself short? We already know you’ve got a mean right hook.”  ****  
** **

Ventus just smiled. He pointed the Keyblade at Vanitas. “Come on, then. First blood wins.”  ****  
** **

Vanitas scoffed a laugh and flew forward, their plastic weapons meeting in the middle and clattering together. Ventus surprisingly managed to hold his own, matching Vanitas’ strength.  ****  
** **

“See? I knew you wouldn’t be a pushover,” Vanitas breathed as they pushed away from each other, preparing for the next exchange of blows. 

****

-0- 

****

“Okay. Would you: A. Laugh at them; B. Help them out, or C. Pretend you saw nothing and leave them to it.”  ****  
** **

“Oh, that’s an easy one. I’d definitely laugh.”  ****  
** **

Ventus shook his head “Why am I not surprised.”  ****  
** **

“But then I’d help them,” Vanitas continued, throwing another skittle high into the air and then catching it in his mouth. He was systematically eating all of the red ones, and if he thought Ventus hadn’t noticed he had another think coming.  ****  
** **

_ “Sure, you would,”  _ Ventus said, even-toned. He messily circled Vanitas’ answer and moved onto the next question.  ****  
** **

Some hours had passed now, but they were still hunkered down in the toy section of the store. Where once there had been at least some semblance of order around them, there was now nothing but mess and absolute chaos.  ****  
** **

Sword-Keyblade fighting had gotten dull all too quickly, so they’d traded up for something a bit more… modern.  ****  
** **

Now there were freaking Nerf bullets  _ everywhere _ .  ****  
** **

Ventus idly wondered if he’d have to look for a new job after this… but he and Vanitas were just having so much fun that he was honestly finding it hard to care right now.  ****  
** **

It was like they were in a world of their own here. Repercussions were a distant worry. And their options were ridiculously limitless.  ****  
** **

It was hot, though. Stupidly hot. The air-conditioning had been off for hours now and while they had both left their long pants on, Vanitas and Ventus had taken off their long-sleeved shirts in exchange for singlets instead. Which was much better — except Vanitas had  _ very _ nice arms, and  _ dude, do you even lift?  _

Ventus wanted to squeeze them. Even just once and he’d die happy. 

“Okay. Next question.”  ****  
** **

“Shoot.” Vanitas answered around a mouthful of skittles (all of them undoubtedly red), while he lounged on his back beside Ventus. Ventus himself sat cross-legged, a Dolly mag open in his lap.  ****  
** **

Ventus picked up the lit candle sat next to Vanitas’ head and held the flickering light closer to the glossy pages.  ****  
** **

“Your boyfriend comes home from work and tells you he’s had the  _ worst  _ day imaginable. Do you: A. Tell him to get over it. Everyone has bad days. B: kiss him breathless till all of his worries leave the building, or C. Let him rant till the cows come home while you cook him his favourite dish.”  ****  
** **

Vanitas hummed and made a show of tapping his chin.  ****  
** **

“Hmm, a tricky one.”  ****  
** **

His head was resting on a rather cutesy ‘My Little Pony’ pillow, but every so often, his unruly hair would brush up against Ventus’ thigh. Ventus wanted to run his fingers through it. He was barely fighting off the urge.  ****  
** **

“A tricky one  _ indeed,” _ he said instead, grabbing at the bag of skittles resting on Vanitas’ stomach. “Whatever will you do?”   ****  
** **

“Well…” Vanitas drawled. “Since I’m such an  _ exceptional _ kisser, I’m gonna haveta go with… B.”  ****  
** **

“Confident, aren’t we?” Ventus snarked. And now he couldn’t stop thinking about  _ ‘exceptional’  _ levels of kissing involving a certain security guard. ****  
** **

“That was the last one, right? So, what’d I get?”  ****  
** **

Ventus silently counted up his score.  ****  
** **

“You got mostly… A’s and B’s so…”  ****  
** **

Vanitas stole the bag of skittles back again. “Read it out.”  ****  
** **

Balancing the candle on one of his thighs, Ventus brought the magazine closer to his face.  ****  
** **

“It says… you tend to be a little stubborn and perhaps a tad too hot-headed for your own good at times, but fear not! The perfect match for you will help you keep your cool. Your ideal boyfriend will be the Yin to your Yang — a man who can make you stress less with ease while also bringing out the best in you. It’s okay to be passionate in a relationship, but just make sure you’ve got a man who keeps that fire within you alive without burning down the entire house.” 

Vanitas sat up sharply, scooting in closer to look. “The fuck does that even mean?”   ****  
** **

Ventus relinquished the magazine easily in favour of taking back the bag of skittles while Vanitas was distracted. It was mostly empty by now, but  _ surely  _ there would be one red one left at least. Who knew Vanitas would have such a voracious sweet-tooth.  ****  
** **

Vanitas held the magazine up to his face, oddly rather invested. Ventus found it kinda cute.  ****  
** **

“I think it means something like… you need someone that balances you out,” he offered, picking out a few skittles that were dark enough to possibly be red. He threw them into his mouth. Chewed. Then pouted.  ****  
** **

All purple. Damn it.   ****  
** **

“Wait.” Vanitas finally spoke up. “What did yours say again?”  ****  
** **

“Mine? Why?” Ventus said, still distracted digging through the skittles. “It was mostly C’s.”  ****  
** **

Vanitas leaned across him to bring the candle closer to himself.  ****  
** **

“You’re mostly a laidback and fun person to be around but you tend to let your insecurities get the best of you too often than not. Your ideal boyfriend needs to always be aware of that, by being trustworthy and supportive but also challenging. You need a man that…”  ****  
** **

He trailed off, and Ventus started paying attention.  ****  
** **

“...What?”  ****  
** **

He shuffled closer to read over Vanitas’ shoulder.  ****  
** **

“...That sets your very soul aflame. Who helps you see just how strong you really are.”  ****  
** **

They’re sitting way too close again. Ventus can feel the heat radiating off Vanitas and soaking into him wherever they touch. Vanitas looked over at him, and it was obvious they were thinking the same thing.  ****  
** **

It was easy to see how their answers to the quiz for the ‘perfect boyfriend’ almost mirrored each other.  ****  
** **

“I think… this trashy tween mag is tryna’ tell us something…” Vanitas said lowly. He leaned in closer, drawing the moment out.  ****  
** **

Ventus felt something hot and dangerous spark low in his stomach.   ****  
** **

“Really?”  ****  
** **

Vanitas smirked.  ****  
** **

_ “Mhmm _ …” ****  
** **

They were so close now they were sharing a single breath between them. So close that Ventus was sure Vanitas would be able to hear the frantic beat of his heart — perhaps even see the very thrill of excitement coursing through him.  ** **  
****

“Like what?”  ****  
** **

Ventus wet his bottom lip and Vanitas’ eyes flickered down to his mouth.  ****  
** **

“How ‘bout I show you?”  ****  
** **

Ventus closed his eyes— ****  
** **

—Held his breath—   ****  
** **

And—  ****  
** **

“Ven? Ven!! You in here?”  ****  
** **

Ventus’ eyes blinked open in surprise. The moment thoroughly derailed, he leaned backwards and looked over his shoulder. He knew that voice.  ****  
** **

“Terr—  _ mmph!!”  _ ****  
** **

_ “Shhhhh!”  _ Vanitas hissed, one of his hands clapped over Ventus’ mouth. Unfortunately, the damage was already done. 

“Oh, good, you’re alive.” Terra called back in answer. Ventus pouted at that. “Where are you exactly? Second floor?”  ****  
** **

Vanitas dropped his hand from Ventus’ mouth, but raised a finger to his own lips instead. Ventus stayed silent.  ****  
** **

“Hey, is Vanitas with you? I can’t find him anywhere.  _ Again _ .”  ****  
** **

“Tell him to come up here, but don’t tell him I’m with you,” Vanitas whispered quickly.  ****  
** **

Ventus whispered back. “Okay.”  ****  
** **

He took a deep breath and turned back to the direction of the escalators.  ****  
** **

“Come up to the third floor!”  ****  
** **

Terra reply-shouted back to him, and from how distant he sounded, it was likely he was still on the ground floor.  ****  
** **

As soon as they could make out Terra climbing the first set of escalators, Vanitas grabbed Ventus’ hand and hauled him to his feet.  ****  
** **

“Where are we going?” Ventus made sure to keep whispering. He really,  _ really  _ liked Vanitas holding his hand. Feeling bold, he laced their fingers together.  ****  
** **

“We gotta hide.”   ****  
** **

Vanitas led him downstairs, their bare feet barely making any noise against the metal steps of the escalator. Their shoes and socks were still somewhere in Manchester.  ****  
** **

“Hide? But why?”  ****  
** **

Vanitas brought them to a stop.   ****  
** **

“Cause I don’t want to work! Duh!”  ****  
** **

“But— ”  ****  
** **

“Ugh, seriously... —I can hear you guys whisper fighting or whatever! Just tell me where you are already!”  ****  
** **

They both froze as Terra’s voice carried its way up to them. Maybe they hadn’t been as discreet as they thought.  ****  
** **

“This way,” Vanitas murmured, leading Ventus onto the second floor. They crouched down behind some nearby dresser drawers, just as Terra stomped his way into view. ****  
** **

“Come  _ on _ , Ven. You’re really in cahoots with  _ him _ now??”  ****  
** **

Ventus had to stifle a laugh. They both shared a grin.  ****  
** **

They waited silently in their hiding spot before they could clearly hear Terra making his way up to the third floor.   ****  
** **

“Quickly, come on!”  ****  
** **

Their hands still linked, Vanitas rushed them down to the ground floor, unmindful of whether Terra heard them or not. As if they both instinctively knew where would be best, they made a break for the adjoining storehouse, the door always unlocked.  ****  
** **

It was how Vanitas always got inside, after all. ****  
** **

Vanitas activated the torch on his phone and lit up the darkness around them. He squeezed Ventus’ hand. ****  
** **

“Where should we go?”  ****  
** **

Ventus already had a place in mind.  ****  
** **

He lead them through the winding maze of towering, silent aisles, passed crates and pallets loaded with stored merchandise.  ****  
** **

Finally, they came to a stop. He pointed upwards. ****  
** **

“Up there.”  ****  
** **

With Vanitas holding his phone between his teeth, they made short work of climbing to the very top.  ****  
** **

This section was where the crates of Manchester items were kept, this aisle in particular housing all of the extra pillows, doonas and quilts.  ****  
** **

They both toppled over the edge of a crate full of pillows just as the double doors to the storehouse flew open.  ****  
** **

“Vanitas, seriously, I need you to do a perimeter check with me. Do you know how big this place is? It’s not a one person job!”  ****  
** **

Ventus barely dared to breathe. His shoulders were shaking from holding in his laughter. Beside him, Vanitas carefully turned his phone off, killing the light.  ****  
** **

Somewhere far below them, they could hear Terra searching for them.  ****  
** **

“Ventus! Not cool!”  ****  
** **

Vanitas snorted. ****  
** **

“Ohh, someone’s in trouble. He’s busting out the full name.”  ****  
** **

Ventus playfully shoved him.  ****  
** **

“Haha, shut  _ uuup _ .”  ****  
** **

A light swept over their hiding spot and immediately they both fell still again. It was then and only then that Ventus realised Vanitas was actually lying half on top him, their chests almost pressed together. Vanitas’ face was turned towards him, buried into the side of his neck. He could feel the warmth of his breaths heating his skin. 

“...Your breath smells like red skittles.”  ****  
** **

Vanitas hummed quietly. He moved slightly, till his lips were right against the shell of Ventus’ ear. ****  
** **

“I know. They’re your favourite.”  ****  
** **

Ventus shivered. Absently, one of his hands danced its way up Vanitas’ back. Vanitas lifted himself just enough to peer into Ventus’ face.  ****  
** **

There was a moment. A brief pause. Their breaths loud and heavy in the silence. 

Ventus subtly lifted his chin and Vanitas slowly leaned down to meet him.  ****  
** **

It was the rush of sensation that got to him first. He let his eyes slip closed as Vanitas swept a gentle hand into his hair. Their lips moved together slowly before Ventus gave over control. Vanitas kissed him harder, angling his head with a firm but careful grip in Ventus’ hair. Ventus panted, his mouth falling more open, and Vanitas licked into his mouth. Ventus whimpered at the taste of red skittles on Vanitas' tongue. They really were his favourite.  ****  
** **

Eager, wanting more, Ventus shifted underneath Vanitas, who thankfully didn’t need much more of a hint.  ****  
** **

He gripped one of Ventus’ thighs and threw his leg around his hips. They were so much closer now, their bodies moving together, and Ventus couldn’t quite keep quiet anymore. Vanitas broke their kiss only to lazily suck and bite marks into the sensitive skin of Ventus’ neck.  ****  
** **

“I have to take you out,” Vanitas breathed between moments where his lips weren’t pressed to Ventus’ skin. “I think we should do dinner.”  ****  
** **

“How about breakfast? After we—  _ ngh,  _ get outta here.”  ****  
** **

Vanitas paused and leaned upwards to meet Ventus’ eyes again. He smiled.  ****  
** **

“Yeah, okay.”  ****  
** **

“Hey! I know you two can hear me!”  ****  
** **

It was Terra again. Couldn't he just give up already?? ****  
** **

“You better clean up everything before the cameras come back online!”  ****  
** **

Ventus gasped, just as Vanitas’ eyes widened rather comically. 

_ “Oh, shit _ .” 


End file.
